After Cheng Zhou finished speaking, he stared intently at Shang Wu.
"You won't let me miss it, right?"
Seeing his excited expression, Shang Wu felt even more conflicted.
To be fair, she felt that Cheng Zhou's words made sense.
The 100-day celebration is a family gathering, and Cheng Zhou, as a relative, should be present both out of courtesy and obligation. But what about Lu You's side…?
"Cheng Zhou, don't get agitated."
Shang Wu tried to calm him down, "Sister You is in a bad mood, and she might have said some harsh words. How about this, on the day of the banquet, I'll try to arrange for you to sit far apart to avoid direct contact..."
“This isn’t about the distance between seats!” Cheng Zhou interrupted her, his tone filled with a deep sense of helplessness. “This is about attitude. By doing this, she is clearly drawing a line. Awu, I know you’re in a difficult position, but I hope you can understand me. I really don’t want to give in.”
Seeing Cheng Zhou's resolute expression, Shang Wu knew that there was no point in saying anything more.
She sighed helplessly, "Okay, I understand what you mean. I'll have Lu Rang talk to Sister You again."
As Shang Wu left the teahouse, she felt utterly overwhelmed.
The banquet hasn't even started yet, and it's already this troublesome.
She took out her phone and dialed Lu Rang's number, her voice weary: "Lu Rang, I've talked to Cheng Zhou, but he insists on coming. Could you talk to Sister You again? I really have no other choice."
On the other end of the phone, Lu Rang was silent for a moment before replying in a deep voice, "Okay, I understand. I'll talk to her and tell her not to worry about this anymore. Go home and rest first."
After hanging up the phone, Shang Wu looked at the bustling streets and let out a long sigh of relief, but her heart still felt heavy.
This 100-day celebration is unlikely to be a peaceful affair.
...
On the other side.
Lu Rang went to talk to Lu You, but the result was not optimistic.
No matter how he presented the facts and reasoned with him, Lu You's attitude remained firm and uncompromising.
She insisted that having Cheng Zhou appear at Yu Wu's 100-day celebration at the very moment she was filing for divorce was an extreme disrespect to her.
The siblings' conversation ended unhappily.
The news quickly reached Lu Zheng.
Lu Zheng was always stern and taciturn when it came to Lu You's affairs, but this time he directly called Lu You back.
Unlike Shang Wu and Lu Rang, he did not offer gentle advice; instead, he stared coldly at his daughter with a stern face.
"Nonsense! Yuwu's 100-day celebration is a major event for the Lu family. Who to invite and who not to invite is not up to you to decide. No matter how wrong Cheng Zhou is, he is still nominally your husband and Yuwu's uncle! What will others think of our Lu family if you do this?"
"You're saying our Lu family doesn't know the rules and doesn't even have basic hospitality?"
Lu You stiffened her neck, wanting to retort, but Lu Zheng didn't wait for her to speak before abruptly changing the subject: "And what about you and Cheng Zhou! I heard that the root of the problem lies in the child?"
His gaze seemed to pierce through people's hearts. "Since you two have fundamental disagreements about having children, why didn't you discuss it clearly before getting married? Is such a major matter concerning the continuation of the family something that can be vaguely discussed and then slowly brought up after marriage?"
Lu You was speechless at this question.
Yes, why wasn't it made clear back then?
Perhaps subconsciously she believed that Cheng Zhou would change for her, or perhaps Cheng Zhou also felt at the time that this wasn't an urgent issue and could be postponed.
Or perhaps they all overestimated the power of love to conquer all.
Faced with Lu Zheng's merciless questioning, she couldn't find any compelling reason to defend herself.
Seeing his daughter fall silent, Lu Zheng's tone softened slightly, but it still left no room for refusal: "In the end, you two are both at fault and both are not at fault. The fault lies in poor communication and in not considering things thoroughly before marriage."
"That's right. Your personal wishes and choices deserve respect. If, after this experience, you find that you can't reconcile or reach an agreement on the most fundamental aspects of your lives, then fine."
"A swift and decisive break is a relief for both of us, and we, as elders, will not forcibly stop it."
Lu Zheng paused, his gaze turning stern again: "However, while you are still legally married, the proper decorum and etiquette for Lu family gatherings cannot be disregarded. Cheng Zhou must attend Yu Wu's 100-day celebration. This is not a matter of whether you want to see him or not; it is a matter of courtesy!"
Lu You pursed her lips tightly, her face turning white then red, then red then white again.
Ultimately, faced with Lu Zheng's powerful aura, she chose to remain silent, which could be considered a form of compromise.
After receiving clear instructions from his father, Lu Rang immediately called Cheng Zhou to inform him that he would attend the 100-day celebration as scheduled.
Cheng Zhou was silent for a few seconds on the other end of the phone, then whispered a thank you.
...
The 100-day celebration was held in the garden banquet hall of a high-end hotel.
The venue was decorated in a warm and childlike style.
Aying arrived early, carrying a huge limited edition doll, and kept teasing Yuwu.
Cheng Zhou also arrived on time, dressed in a well-fitting suit and carrying an exquisite gift box containing a finely crafted gold lock symbolizing peace and prosperity.
When he saw Lu You, he visibly paused, his eyes filled with complex emotions.
But Lu You acted as if she didn't see him at all, and went straight to Shang Wu to tease today's little protagonist, Yu Wu.
The atmosphere became subtly awkward for a moment.
Shang Wu quickly stepped forward to smooth things over, warmly inviting everyone to sit down and urging the waiters to come up.
Lu Zheng sat in the main seat, a pleased smile on his face.
After the banquet began, Shang Wu tried to liven up the atmosphere by talking about interesting things about Yu Wu.
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